Best excavator for a big man?

I've rented a few, Volvo, Bobcat, others, where I didn't have enough legroom.

Now I'm buying my own and man you have to drive half a day to get to the dealers to sit in them!

Anybody else really tall, like 6'8" and which excavator fit you best?

I’m 6’5” and haven’t had any problems in the Case/Link-Belt machines.for sake of honesty I haven’t spent more than about an hour at a time in any though.

What size machine are you looking for?

I was looking for a 5 ton midi range, but now I'm hesitating and considering a backhoe instead. I ran a Yanmar Vio35 for 12 hours and it was OK. My left leg coulda used another couple inches of legroom though. The hydraulic power is the best I've seen yet in that size machine. But it had only 80 hours on it. The Volvos and Bobcats I've rented in the past had more hours on them.

RenoHuskerDu said:

I was looking for a 5 ton midi range, but now I'm hesitating and considering a backhoe instead. I ran a Yanmar Vio35 for 12 hours and it was OK. My left leg coulda used another couple inches of legroom though. The hydraulic power is the best I've seen yet in that size machine. But it had only 80 hours on it. The Volvos and Bobcats I've rented in the past had more hours on them.

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What kind of work are you doing with it?

Bucket and blade. Dug and installed a culvert, built up low spots and widened a road, sculpted the back yard for my wife.

I'm 6-3, and just about everything I've driven/operated is cramped. Backhoes are no exception. Turning around in one is a dance, and if your legs are sore or tired...

Anyways. I think the best you can do is sit in them, and see if you can find one with a good dangle angle. No glass, and a good spot to rest your feet at a good stretch. I'm pretty certain if you have glass, you will always have this problem. I think equipment is geared toward smaller guys.

I haven't operated any, but the rumor is volvo has the best ergonomics. Could be only on the larger machines. I don't have experience on many different minis.